While President Jacob Zuma was addressing most of the country's mayors, municipal managers, premiers and local government MECs at the OR Tambo Hall in Khayelitsha, angry residents of the neighbouring RR-Section informal settlement wanted to know why they had not been invited.
As police kept an eye on him, an angry resident, who would be identified only as Mthuthuzeli, expressed his disappointment at Zuma for not inviting members of the public to the meeting.
"When he was canvassing for votes, he came into our shacks and didn't put up a fence to keep us out. I want to know whether he could smell the excrement from inside the hall where he was sitting."
Another resident, Sizwe Dlabantu, asked: "If it was only for VIPs, why did they bring it here to Khayelitsha. They could've had it at the Arabella Sheraton in town."
Kept out of the venue by a three metre-high fence which had closed off a section of Lansdowne Road, and guarded by a small army of police and VIP guards, the residents could only look on at the procession of luxury German vehicles which entered the venue.
The area chosen for the meeting has had several service delivery protests over the years, with shacks located along the road built below the flood plain.
This was one of the reasons the city council had given for why services could not be provided for some of the shacks around Lansdowne Road.
Asked why the venue had been chosen, Minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane said he had not been part of the decision, but said it was a good venue.
Zusiphelhe Mathanda, who lives at the BT-Section informal settlement where people forcibly closed off a section of Lansdowne Road for almost a month in September, said Zuma should have gone on a walkabout in the area.
He mentioned a semi-permanent presence of the Metro Police on Lansdowne Road, which has prevented objects such as shipping containers being moved on to the road and has stopped the digging of trenches by a community insisting on being moved.
"We don't have any rights even though we voted. Zuma should pressurise Dan Plato so that he can give us a piece of land," Mathanda said.
- Cape Times
As police kept an eye on him, an angry resident, who would be identified only as Mthuthuzeli, expressed his disappointment at Zuma for not inviting members of the public to the meeting.
| 'could Zuma smell the excrement' |
Another resident, Sizwe Dlabantu, asked: "If it was only for VIPs, why did they bring it here to Khayelitsha. They could've had it at the Arabella Sheraton in town."
| 'We don't have any rights even though we voted' |
The area chosen for the meeting has had several service delivery protests over the years, with shacks located along the road built below the flood plain.
This was one of the reasons the city council had given for why services could not be provided for some of the shacks around Lansdowne Road.
Asked why the venue had been chosen, Minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane said he had not been part of the decision, but said it was a good venue.
Zusiphelhe Mathanda, who lives at the BT-Section informal settlement where people forcibly closed off a section of Lansdowne Road for almost a month in September, said Zuma should have gone on a walkabout in the area.
He mentioned a semi-permanent presence of the Metro Police on Lansdowne Road, which has prevented objects such as shipping containers being moved on to the road and has stopped the digging of trenches by a community insisting on being moved.
"We don't have any rights even though we voted. Zuma should pressurise Dan Plato so that he can give us a piece of land," Mathanda said.
- Cape Times
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